Spain’s August heatwave was ‘most intense on record’, weather agency says

AEMET says the 16-day August heatwave was part of a ‘trend toward more extreme summers’ due to climate change.

Spain suffered “the most intense” heatwave on record this month, the State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) has said, as firefighters battled wildfires in the north and west of the country.

In a statement on Sunday, the agency said that provisional readings for the August 3-18 heatwave exceeded the last record, set in July 2022, and showed an average temperature 4.6 degrees Celsius (40.2 Fahrenheit) higher than the expected threshold.

AEMET noted that the most recent heatwave, which saw temperatures reach 43C (109 F), is part of an escalating pattern of warmer summers due to the climate crisis.

“That four of the five most intense heat waves have occurred since 2019 is no coincidence,” it said. “Not every summer will always be warmer than the previous one, but the trend toward more extreme summers is clear. The keys: adaptation and mitigation of climate change.”